Preventing Another Eczema Flare

Use the medication which your doctor recommends on a regular basis.
Use a soap substitute, to keep the skin supple and to prevent drying.
Avoid scratching when you itch. If you can not stop yourself, then gently rubbing, with the flat of your hand, is less likely to do damage.
Avoid exposure to chemicals and strong detergents. It is usually better to avoid using biological agents altogether.
Use protective gloves when you use such things in the house or at work.
If you have been found to be allergic to a specific substance, avoid contact with it, if this is feasible.
Use your treatments according to the instructions from your doctor and the pharmacist.

Xerosis or Dry Skin

Xerosis is the medical term for dry skin and the symptoms of this ailment include irritated skin that feels tight and looks ashy or even peeling. Severe xerosis can result in cracked or bleeding skin and can make skin prone to problems such as infection or unsightly rashes. For this reason, it is important to prevent and fight parched skin as soon as the problem starts.

Our style of living often results in dehydrated skin that feels tight and irritated. A common problem is that indoor heating combined with daily bathing result in skin that is robbed of its natural moisture and oils. You can help prevent some skin dryness by making sure your skin is not parched or irritated by your bathing habits. Use lukewarm water and gentle soaps when you bathe, and limit bathing to a quick 15 minutes or less once a day. This will help prevent the problem of tight-feeling skin caused by over washing.

Another way to prevent xerosis or at least to minimize the irritation of dehydrated skin is to use towels to pat. Never scrub your skin with a towel or washcloth in or out of the shower. Pat your skin gently instead and offset dryness by using a scent-free and rich moisturizer to return moisture to parched skin and to soothe irritated skin.

If you have problem skin, be sure to use gentle detergents and try to wear loose-fitting clothes made of natural fabrics such as cotton. This lets your skin breathe. People with xerosis also find that they can get some relief by keeping their skin well-protected from the elements and by keeping an air humidifier in their workplace and home.

Understanding Eczema

Eczema is a generic term for a group of conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed, red, dry, and itchy. In some cases, a rash might develop in one area or over the entire body.

Eczema may appear different from person to person, and it might appear on different parts of the body. In adults, eczema most often develops on the hands and elbows, and in "bending" areas such as the inside of the elbows and back of the knees. In young children, eczema most often develops on the elbows, knees, face, neck, and scalp.

Common symptoms of eczema include:
Itchiness
Skin redness
Dry, scaly, or crusted skin that might become thick and leathery from long-term scratching
Formation of small, fluid-filled blisters that might ooze when scratched
Infection of the areas where the skin has been broken

Does Diet Trigger Eczema?

A lot of controversy and arguments surround the belief that foods may play an important role in triggering eczema. Only in recent years have doctors and health professionals become aware of the impact of diet on eczema.

It's now pretty much acknowledged throughout the medical community that some 10–25 percent of those people with eczema are affected by food sensitivity. It has also become widely accepted that food intolerance may well play a big part in eczema as well. For many people, a change in diet is a critical factor in successfully controlling eczema. The old adage "you are what you eat" can be very true for those who are suffering from eczema.

By paying careful attention to the foods you eat and planning a careful diet, you may be able to reduce your eczema flare-ups considerably. Rubbing soothing creams and oils on your skin, and avoiding contact with chemicals, dust, and other irritants is a good way of approaching your eczema from the outside of the body. But this simply suppresses the symptoms and doesn't address the cause of your eczema. Although simply saying a diet change may seem like a simple and obvious approach to controlling eczema, in reality it's a lot more complicated than that.

Since eczema is a multi-factorial condition, there is no single treatment that works effectively for everyone. One of the easiest things you can do to remain healthy and help your body heal itself is to eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. But if you believe food may be a factor in your eczema, what foods should you eat and avoid?

The first thing to consider before deciding on what approach to take will depend upon whether you're an adult with eczema or the parent of a child who has eczema. The severe diets often used to treat adult eczema can be very unsafe for children and they should never be used without qualified medical advice.

Since there's no single reliable test for sensitivity to food, one of the most important tools in identifying potential eczema triggers is your own power of observation. Faithfully keeping a food diary in which you write down everything you consume is a great way to detect whether there is a pattern of eczema reaction to certain foods.In addition to writing down what you eat, you should also note any symptoms, such as itching, redness, etc that occurs after eating a particular food. Over a 4-6 week period you may begin to notice a definite pattern emerging. Focusing on your meals and trying to identify what foods you react to can often be a long and difficult process. It will require patience and willpower, but if you can identify a definite food intolerance, the subsequent relief from eczema provided by avoiding this food will be well worth it.

Mel Sinclair is a Registered Nurse and the owner of the Eczema Site contributed this article.